Teachings

One of the primary elements of our worship gatherings is exploring the scriptures. Together as a community of faith we seek to faithfully interpret and apply these ancient texts to the realities of twenty-first century life. We do this because we believe God is present with us, that God's Story is continually unfolding all around us and that he is still renewing all of creation and inviting us to participate.

  • Sep 19, 2019 • 47 min

    EVANGELISM (WK 2): "The Story of Good News"

    0:00-13:05: Interview with Liana McCain about Young Life at Lincoln High. 13:05-46:53: The Story of Good News -Acts 3:11-21 -Acts 10:34-43 Mosaic Gathering Prayer: September 15, 2019 Lord, we come to You today from many places. Some of us come from places of brokenness and hurt, some from places of overflowing gratitude, and others of us come from places somewhere in-between extremes. Whatever place we’ve inhabited this week, we recognize the power of Your story at work in our lives. We gather here to partake in this one enduring story and to take up Your good news for ourselves and our neighbors. God, give us Your good news - fresh - this morning.  In the hustle and bustle of our daily routines, in our too-often- stagnant mindsets, we have the tendency to overlook the power of Your story in our lives. We seek life where life cannot be found. We stumble. We blunder. We fail. By all definitions, we are imperfect. In our brokenness, we turn to You.  God, You make beauty of our messes.  At the core of our lives, Your story is at play. In our comings and goings, You are present. We thank You for inviting us to live our humanity purposefully. It is not always easy, yet in Your goodness alone, we find true life. God, You are good.  You have been writing Your story forever. To the people of Israel, You announced peace through Jesus. In Judea, You spread the news of Jesus’ baptism and Your miraculous workings in His life. You fulfilled Your story in Christ’s death and resurrection. Even in this present age, Your good news spreads. Your story is the best story ever told. Your gospel is the best news the world has known.  God, may we know the power and beauty of Your story at work in our lives. Amen.

  • Sep 19, 2019 • 28 min

    EVANGELISM (WK 1): "The Ugly, The Bad, The Good (?)"

    Betsy Miller shares her story of evangelism. Mosaic Gathering Prayer: September 8, 2019 God, we come to you this morning, seeking your voice. Through the fog and the noise of life, we seek clarity. May we know you in the darkness and may we find you in the light.  Synchronize our hearts to the rhythm of your love. There are times for everything, times to rejoice and times of sorrow In these times, we often turn from you. We close off our hearts to your voice and calling. It is easier to question your promises.  There are parts of ourselves that we keep locked away  even though you have access we don't allow you to enter. We run to and from our despair we overlook your understanding. May we know your heart overflowing with love and mercy. May we seek your truth in the things we cannot see. May we feel your presence  In the moments we feel alone. May we hear your words over the lies we tell ourselves. To know you, is to love you.  To seek you, is to find you.  May we hold close your promises Of Love, Hope, Freedom, and Grace. Amen.

  • Aug 12, 2019 • 24 min

    RECONSTRUCTION: "Rebuilding Ancient Ruins"

    They will rebuild the ancient ruins And restore the places long devastated; They will renew the ruined cities That have been devastated for generations. Isaiah 61:4 . .. .. "This is my Father's world. O let me ne'er forget That though the wrong Seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet. ___ This is my Father's world, The battle is not done: Jesus who died shall be satisfied,  And earth and Heav'n be one. ___ This is my Father's world Why should my heart be sad? The Lord is King, let the heavens ring God reigns, let the earth be glad." -"This is My Father's World"

  • Aug 12, 2019 • 22 min

    DECONSTRUCTION: "Setting Captives Free"

    The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. Isaiah 61:1-3a

  • Aug 12, 2019 • 33 min

    FORMER PASTOR BILL RADTKE SHARES: "Lessons on this Journey"

    Bill, our former pastor during Mosaic's transitional period who moved to Florida in 2018, shared with us about his journey and what he has learned from then to now.

  • Jun 10, 2019 • 29 min

    STORIES OF WONDER, AWE AND WISDOM (WK 2): "She Moves in Mysterious Ways"

    Again and again, the ancient and often ambiguous scriptures challenge and cheer us on as we walk our difficult paths of faith. They open windows and unlock doors inviting us to risk and to venture beyond what is familiar to seek God directly. They invite us to see through the words on the page to see what God is up to in the here and now so we can embrace wisdom and participate with God's work. It's been said the beginning of awe is wonder, and the beginning of wisdom is awe. Together, let's discover our place in these ancient scriptures filled with stories of wonder, awe and wisdom. Wherever you might be on your journey of faith, we invite you to join us.

  • Jun 3, 2019 • 38 min

    STORIES OF WONDER, AWE AND WISDOM (WK 1): "Barefoot Beyond The Wilderness"

    Again and again, the ancient and often ambiguous scriptures challenge and cheer us on as we walk our difficult paths of faith. They open windows and unlock doors inviting us to risk and to venture beyond what is familiar to seek God directly. They invite us to see through the words on the page to see what God is up to in the here and now so we can embrace wisdom and participate with God's work. It's been said the beginning of awe is wonder, and the beginning of wisdom is awe. Together, let's discover our place in these ancient scriptures filled with stories of wonder, awe and wisdom. Wherever you might be on your journey of faith, we invite you to join us.

  • May 20, 2019 • 34 min

    'LUKE'S JESUS'

    Eric Smith, Founder and President of Pillar Seminary, shares from one of his favorite passages of scripture.

  • May 13, 2019 • 29 min

    'TAKING IT ON THE CHIN FOR OTHERS'

    Eric Smith, Founder and President of Pillar Seminary, joins us to share a little about what it means to "take it on the chin".

  • Apr 30, 2019 • 38 min

    SACRED MOMENTS OF RESURRECTION (WK 2): "No Easter Showcase! Just Sacred Moments" Pt. 2

    Mosaic Gathering Prayer: April 28, 2019 As we clock our weekly hours, as we recount our past years, Lord there’s such temptation to look back with dissatisfaction, to compare our journeys with others’. Even as we follow You, God, self-doubt and fear of insufficiency follow us. They creep in like thieves and misdirect our attention. A million little moments we nearly miss and yet, in this brokenness... Lord, we welcome You here. Spirit, give us eyes to see You and the paths You’ve called each of us to uniquely follow. Lord, we welcome You here. As we stumble, as we compare, as we doubt, Lord clarify our vision. It’s so easy to lose sight of Your quiet presence in our lives when we seek something special and glimmering. In the ordinary moments of Your living resurrection... Lord, we welcome You here. God, remove the scales from our eyes. Remove the dust and specks. Help us to see You clearly. Stir in us a patience and a mindfulness for all You have in store for us now and in the moments to come. Lord, we welcome You here and we invite You to stay here, now and forever. Amen.

  • Apr 22, 2019 • 24 min

    SACRED MOMENTS OF RESURRECTION (WK 1): "No Easter Showcase! Just Sacred Moments"

    More than showcasing his resurrection to the world, Jesus is passionate about speaking sacred moments of resurrection life into our existence. ‘Peace be with you’ is just one of the ways Jesus speaks God's new world into our experience of Good Friday tragedies and Holy Saturday silence and grief. Our sorrow, fear, skepticism and comparisons will be transformed as we become aware of these sacred moments being spoken to us.

  • Apr 15, 2019 • 33 min

    STILL BE OUR VISION, O RULER OF ALL (WK 6): "Making Space for a Kingdom of Communion"

    Mosaic Gathering Prayer: April 14, 2019 God, Creator of our world, artist of our hearts, author of our stories, we come to you with tired bones and white knuckles, as we attempt to hold on so tightly to what isn’t ours.   We acknowledge your presence as it fills this room through the breath from our lungs.   You are the beginning and the end, we come to You.  You feel our anxieties and you see our struggle. You know the weight of what we carry, let us let You lighten this load.  Lord, relieve us.  Help us to see You in every space of our hearts, stories, and individual worlds. In the spaces that may be seen but also in the unseen.  Lord, reveal to us.  Let us be in awe of the immensity of your Spirit. Let the vastness of your love, overwhelm us. Lord, inspire us.  Meet us in the darkness where our questions cast shadows, may the light of your love draw us in close. Lord, lead us.  As we come together with others in community, reveal to us your beauty through the hearts you gave them.  Lord, pursue us.  Let us pay attention to your meticulous detail and care as the robust colors of Spring reveal themselves. Lord, show us. May we never take for granted your intimate nearness. May we see, hear, and feel you all around us.  Unite us together through the shared struggles and joys of our lives. As we seek, we find our identities in You, everlasting strength and infinite love.  Amen

  • Apr 8, 2019 • 37 min

    STILL BE OUR VISION, O RULER OF ALL (WK 5): "A Kingdom of Joy"

    | Mosaic Gathering Prayer: April 7, 2019 Father of us all We bring our hearts, minds and bodies before You this morning. Anything that is anxious and scattered within us, we still. We center ourselves in this place, in our chairs, in our bodies. And we open ourselves to You. Holy Father, You created our hearts and You know our hungers. Sweet Spirit, You dwell within us and You see our thirst. Strong Brother, You walked among us and You know our pain. We invite You into the broken places in our hearts; Dear Lord, bring healing. We invite You into the anxious places in our minds; Dear Lord, bring calm. We invite You to bless anything unloved in our bodies; Dear Lord, bring affirmation. We invite You to touch any strife in our relationships; Dear Lord, bring grace. We invite You to hold any pain in our lives; Dear Lord, bring peace. We invite You into our homes, our neighborhoods, our city, our country; Dear Lord, bring restoration. We invite you into our world; Dear Lord, bring love. Together, we affirm the reality of the abundant life You offer. Together, we pray for an ever-increasing experience of this abundance. We lay our doubts and our frustrations in Your hands. And receive from You,  Joy.

  • Apr 1, 2019 • 36 min

    STILL BE OUR VISION, O RULER OF ALL (WK 4): "A Kingdom of Restoration"

    | Mosaic Gathering Prayer: March 31, 2019 God of Love, we come before you as your children. We acknowledge you as Creator and Sustainer of our lives. Some of us feel great faith and life at work inside of us, Some of us are hopeful skeptics underneath a weight of burdens, Some of us are filled with all kinds of questions, doubt, and despair,Some of us are bruised reeds and smoldering wicks. Your love envelopes us all.Your mercy pursues us.Your grace carries us. And so we choose love, in all of this we choose love. We turn to you in prayer. For those in our state of Nebraska still recovering and rebuilding from flood loss Lord, have mercy For neighbors and those in this room experiencing difficult times of addiction, sadness, loneliness and despair Lord, have mercy For families that are experiencing broken relationships Christ, have mercy For those suffering under unjust systems of power and selfish hands Christ, have mercy For those twisted by envy, violence and hatred God of Justice, intercede For those cultivating a new way of hope, belonging, sustainability, and love God of Peace, intercede For us here at Mosaic and all communities of faith striving to be a light in the darkness Holy Spirit, empower us May we love those far off and those near. May we love those who are strangers and those who are friends. May we love those with whom we disagree and pray to understand that we are bound by something deeper than our beliefs. We confess we have failed to love our neighbors in all the ways you have called us Lord, have mercy. We confess we have often built walls between ourselves and others rather than dismantle those walls Lord, have mercy. As we walk roads of darkness and inhabit spaces of loss in order to bring restoration Lord, have mercy. As we look to you for the forgiveness of sin Gracious Lord, we receive life and rescue you have made possible to us through Jesus. We pray these things as your children you love We pray these things by the grace of God  With the love of the Son  And in the power of the Holy Spirit!  Amen.

  • Mar 25, 2019 • 32 min

    STILL BE OUR VISION, O RULER OF ALL (WK 3): "A God-Like Justice"

    As hikers need a compass, and as travelers need a map and a goal, followers of Jesus need a clear vision of what Jesus' kind of society looks like when it is lived out. In a cultural landscape that is part patriotism, part consumerism, part violence, part affluence and part vanity fair we believe Jesus is calling us to cultivate something very different. Join us for our Sunday gatherings as we explore and seek to live this vision of Jesus together in our lives and neighborhoods.

  • Mar 18, 2019 • 28 min

    STILL BE OUR VISION, O RULER OF ALL (WK 2): "A Kingdom of Mustard Seeds"

    As hikers need a compass, and as travelers need a map and a goal, followers of Jesus need a clear vision of what Jesus' kind of society looks like when it is lived out. In a cultural landscape that is part patriotism, part consumerism, part violence, part affluence and part vanity fair we believe Jesus is calling us to cultivate something very different. Join us for our Sunday gatherings as we explore and seek to live this vision of Jesus together in our lives and neighborhoods.

  • Mar 11, 2019 • 32 min

    STILL BE OUR VISION, O RULER OF ALL (WK 1): "Transformative Grace in Our Kingdoms of Ash"

    As hikers need a compass, and as travelers need a map and a goal, followers of Jesus need a clear vision of what Jesus' kind of society looks like when it is lived out. In a cultural landscape that is part patriotism, part consumerism, part violence, part affluence and part vanity fair we believe Jesus is calling us to cultivate something very different. Join us for our Sunday gatherings as we explore and seek to live this vision of Jesus together in our lives and neighborhoods.

  • Feb 18, 2019 • 40 min

    UNFINISHED (WK 1): "An Exploration of Ordinary Acts of Self-Emptying Love"

    We're taught that 'Good is the Enemy of Great', and that 'Great' is what we're supposed to be. But is it possible that obsession with greatness--being impressive, going viral, dropping the mic--prevents us from seeing opportunities around us to bring peace, joy, and goodness into the world around us? Can 'Great' be the Enemy of 'Good'?

  • Feb 11, 2019 • 32 min

    INNER SKEPTIC SAINTS (WK 6): "The Mystery Unraveling all our Mysteries"

    Welcome to humanity. We question. We doubt. We have uncertainties. Some are ashamed of their doubts. Some are proud of their doubts. We’d rather be faithful with them. Thankfully Jesus never asks us to give up our uncertainties to join the journey of discovery in following Him. Instead, the Divine welcomes our doubts and uncertainties because it makes us more human and honest. Ultimately, faith has little to do with certainty and more to do with a willingness to act faithfully despite uncertainty. As we begin 2019, we invite you to join us at our Sunday gatherings by throwing our hands up in equal parts awe, bliss and surrender. This is where the journey of faith begins.

  • Feb 4, 2019 • 38 min

    INNER SKEPTIC SAINTS (WK 5): "The Greatest of These is Love"

    Welcome to humanity. We question. We doubt. We have uncertainties. Some are ashamed of their doubts. Some are proud of their doubts. We’d rather be faithful with them. Thankfully Jesus never asks us to give up our uncertainties to join the journey of discovery in following Him. Instead, the Divine welcomes our doubts and uncertainties because it makes us more human and honest. Ultimately, faith has little to do with certainty and more to do with a willingness to act faithfully despite uncertainty. As we begin 2019, we invite you to join us at our Sunday gatherings by throwing our hands up in equal parts awe, bliss and surrender. This is where the journey of faith begins.

  • Jan 28, 2019 • 36 min

    INNER SKEPTIC SAINTS (WK 4): "What the hell? Salvation belongs to our God!"

    Welcome to humanity. We question. We doubt. We have uncertainties. Some are ashamed of their doubts. Some are proud of their doubts. We’d rather be faithful with them. Thankfully Jesus never asks us to give up our uncertainties to join the journey of discovery in following Him. Instead, the Divine welcomes our doubts and uncertainties because it makes us more human and honest. Ultimately, faith has little to do with certainty and more to do with a willingness to act faithfully despite uncertainty. As we begin 2019, we invite you to join us by throwing our hands up in equal parts awe, bliss and surrender. This is where the journey of faith begins.

  • Jan 21, 2019 • 36 min

    INNER SKEPTIC SAINTS (WK 3): "Surrender and Rebellion in the Face of Evil"

    Welcome to humanity. We question. We doubt. We have uncertainties. Some are ashamed of their doubts. Some are proud of their doubts. We’d rather be faithful with them. Thankfully Jesus never asks us to give up our uncertainties to join the journey of discovery in following Him. Instead, the Divine welcomes our doubts and uncertainties because it makes us more human and honest. Ultimately, faith has little to do with certainty and more to do with a willingness to act faithfully despite uncertainty. As we begin 2019, we invite you to join us by throwing our hands up in equal parts awe, bliss and surrender. This is where the journey of faith begins.

  • Jan 14, 2019 • 33 min

    INNER SKEPTIC SAINTS (WK 2): '"Please look through me not at me!" -the Bible'

    Welcome to humanity. We question. We doubt. We have uncertainties. Some are ashamed of their doubts. Some are proud of their doubts. We’d rather be faithful with them. Thankfully Jesus never asks us to give up our uncertainties to join the journey of discovery in following Him. Instead, the Divine welcomes our doubts and uncertainties because it makes us more human and honest. Ultimately, faith has little to do with certainty and more to do with a willingness to act faithfully despite uncertainty. As we begin 2019, we invite you to join us by throwing our hands up in equal parts awe, bliss and surrender. This is where the journey of faith begins.

  • Jan 7, 2019 • 36 min

    INNER SKEPTIC SAINTS (WK 1): "The Choice Jesus Doesn't Ask Us to Make"

    Welcome to humanity. We question. We doubt. We have uncertainties. Some are ashamed of their doubts. Some are proud of their doubts. We’d rather be faithful with them. Thankfully Jesus never asks us to give up our uncertainties to join the journey of discovery in following Him. Instead, the Divine welcomes our doubts and uncertainties because it makes us more human and honest. Ultimately, faith has little to do with certainty and more to do with a willingness to act faithfully despite uncertainty. As we begin 2019, we invite you to join us by throwing our hands up in equal parts awe, bliss and surrender. This is where the journey of faith begins.

  • Dec 26, 2018 • 20 min

    ADVENT OF DISRUPTION (WK 4): "Christmas Reflection"

    Advent continues to come every year to a world that is constantly trying to assert a story of seeking value through significance and power and domination and control and success and comfort--and Advent brings a reminder that Jesus came as a plot twist and a disruption of that story to say, “You are valued and loved without ANY of that, and my Kingdom, the true Kingdom, is a Kingdom made of grace and peace and joy and self-emptying love. We wait. We anticipate. We receive. We participate.